Articles
Critical Skills Visa
One of the highlighted topics: Critical Skills Visa.
- Key Insight: Is your profession on the Critical Skills List? This visa is your fast track to working in South Afr...
- This matter relates to critical skills visa and its broader implications.
- Individuals are advised to seek professional guidance.
Is your profession on the Critical Skills List? This visa is your fast trac V.6139
More than 380k South Africans blocked from IDs lawyers challenge home affairs
One of the applicants, Phindile Mazibuko, became a victim of identity theft in 2012 when fraudulent transactions occurred, using her personal details.
-The Pretoria High Court found that the department of home affairs had violated constitutional rights without due process.
-Only half of Lawyers for Human Rights` test group has been unblocked, while 385 000 identities remain blocked nationwide.
-LHR appeals extension, urges affected people to seek help now.
Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR) are intensifying pressure on the department of home affairs over the national ID-blocking crisis, accusing the state of acting too slowly to unblock qualifying individuals despite a landmark court ruling.
In January last year, the Pretoria High Court found that the department`s practice of blocking IDs without due process was unlawful and unconstitutional. One of the applicants, Phindile Mazibuko, a Swati citizen and South African permanent resident since 1998, fell victim to identity theft in 2012 when fraudsters used her personal details.
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Airport Immigration Alert
The Border Management Authority (BMA) has doubled its staff at Airports in South Africa , including immigration officers.
What does this mean for travelers? V.6128
Airport Immigration Alert
The Border Management Authority (BMA) has doubled its staff at Airports in South Africa , including immigration officers.
What does this mean for travelers? V.6129
A New Zealand mother and her 6-year-old son released from US immigration custody after being detained for weeks
A Washington state mother and her 6-year-old son have been released after spending more than three weeks in US immigration detention due to a brief trip to Canada and a small paperwork mistake, her attorney told CNN on Saturday.
Sarah Shaw, a New Zealand citizen who has lived legally in the US since she arrived in 2021, was detained at the Blaine, Washington, Customs and Border Protection checkpoint when returning home after dropping her two oldest children off at the Vancouver airport for a flight to visit their grandparents in New Zealand. Shaw, 33, chose the flight out of Vancouver because it was direct and she didn`t want her children to have to navigate a layover alone, her attorney Minda Thorward, told CNN.
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High Court upholds corporate visa refusal: Implications for businesses
On 22 July 2025, the Gauteng High Court dismissed Sitrusrand Boerdery`s review of the Department of Employment and Labour`s refusal to issue a Working Conditions and Salary Benchmarking Certificate, an essential precondition for obtaining corporate visas under the Immigration Act.
Acting Judge Kekana AJ held that the Department`s decision was lawful, rational and procedurally fair. This judgment illustrates how businesses can - and must - structure their corporate visa applications to meet statutory requirements, and how legal practitioners should prepare robust review challenges when administrative authorities decline to recommend foreign-work permits.
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US faces 9.4bn dollars tourism loss from new 250dollars visa fee targeting African countries
The United States could forfeit an estimated 9.4 billion dollars in visitor spending over the next three years following the introduction of a new 250 dollars `visa integrity fee,` according to industry groups, who warn the policy risks undermining tourism and costing thousands of jobs.
The United Statesâ decision to introduce a 250 dollars `visa integrity fee` on international visitors has triggered sharp criticism from the global tourism industry, with officials warning that the measure could deter millions of travellers and cost the U.S. economy billions.
The 250dollar `visa integrity fee,` part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act signed on July 4, 2025, will take effect later this year. According to immigration law firm Envoy Global, it applies to all nonimmigrant visa holders which include students, tourists, temporary workers, and business visitors particularly from African countries. V.6132
Airport Immigration Alert
The Border Management Authority (BMA) has doubled its staff at Airports in South Africa , including immigration officers.
What does this mean for travelers? V.6127
ARRESTED & UNDOCUMENTED: WHAT ARE YOUR OPTIONS?
1. Right to Legal Representationâ¢You have the right to consult with a legal representative.â¢Contact an immigration practitioner, legal aid clinic, or attorney urgently.â¢Do not sign any documents without understanding them fully. 2. Section 34 of the Immigration Actâ¢You must be brought to court with 48 hours to confirm arrest but you can remain locked up very long as courts figure out what to do with you â¢If you`re found to be illegally in South Africa, you may be detained for up to 30 days (extendable by a magistrate) pending deportation.â¢BUT this cannot happen arbitrarily. You must be informed of your rights, and Home Affairs must follow due process.- becomes a nightmare , you could lose your job , business , place to stay V.6121
20. Aug. 2025 SA MigrationE-Hailing & Scooter Drivers in South Africa â` Why Being LEGAL is CRUCIAL!
Driving for Bolt, Uber, Mr D, or Checkers Sixty60?If you`re undocumented, you`re risking more than just your income.The Risks if You`re Not Legal: - Vehicle impoundment - Heavy fines - Arrest & deportation - Permanent bans from working in SA V.6122
20. Aug. 2025 SA MigrationE-Hailing & Scooter Drivers in South Africa - Why Being LEGAL is CRUCIAL!
Driving for Bolt, Uber, Mr D, or Checkers Sixty60?If you`re undocumented, you`re risking more than just your income.The Risks if You`re Not Legal: - Vehicle impoundment - Heavy fines - Arrest & deportation - Permanent bans from working in SA V.6123
13. Aug. 2025 Daily MaverickFamily houses` don`t exist in law and it is creating chaos among families
The single most common problem brought to the Orange Farm Advice Centre is disputes over `family houses`. Legally, there is no such thing as a family house, yet it has a very real existence. In South Africa, there are two ways of dying. With or without a will. A will gives instructions on distributing your worldly possessions. Dying without a will, or intestate, means your possessions are inherited by relatives in line with the Intestate Succession Act. V.6119
13. Aug. 2025 Home AffairsHome Affairs launches phase two of Trusted Tour Operator Scheme (TTOS)
After attracting over 25 000 tourists in six months, Home Affairs launches phase two of Trusted Tour Operator Scheme (TTOS) to further boost tourism job creation The Minister of Home Affairs, Dr Leon Schreiber, can today announce the launch of phase two of the Trusted Tour Operator Scheme (TTOS), which adds another 45 vetted and approved tour operators to the existing 65 operators that have participated in the programme since its launch in February 2025. V.6120
12. Aug. 2025 The South AfricanSA couple beg Australia for protection visa over `death sentence` return
A white South African couple living in Sydney seeking a protection visa are begging the Australian government not to deport them over their fear of `persecution`.They`ve even gone as far as to call returning home a `death sentence`.Their pleas come as many white South Africans, and those of racial minorities, have been invited to apply for the refugee resettlement programme in the US, under President Donald Trump`s Executive Order. V.6118
11. Aug. 2025 SA MigrationLabour Court rules against `just following orders` defence in South Africa
Dishonesty, even when instructed, breaches the trust at the heart of the employment relationship and can justify a dismissal, according to Amandla Makhongwana, senior associate at Bowmans.Makhongwana says the Labour Courtâs judgment in Mbuyane v Dekker NO and Others (JR1173/2020) [2025] ZALCJHB 224 serves as a poignant reminder that integrity is not negotiable, even under pressure from management.Banele Innocent Mbuyane, a former treasury custodian at Standard Bank, shared operational duties with his supervisor, Ms Nkosi. According to Amandla Makhongwana, senior associate at Bowmans: âIn carrying out this function, Mbuyane and Nkosi were responsible for receiving cash from a security company, SBV. If the amount received was incorrect, they had to return the cash to SBV and prepare balance sheets that correctly corresponded with the amounts received from SBV.â V.6114
11. Aug. 2025 SA MigrationLabour Court rules against `just following orders` defence in South Africa
Dishonesty, even when instructed, breaches the trust at the heart of the employment relationship and can justify a dismissal, according to Amandla Makhongwana, senior associate at Bowmans.Makhongwana says the Labour Courtâs judgment in Mbuyane v Dekker NO and Others (JR1173/2020) [2025] ZALCJHB 224 serves as a poignant reminder that integrity is not negotiable, even under pressure from management.Banele Innocent Mbuyane, a former treasury custodian at Standard Bank, shared operational duties with his supervisor, Ms Nkosi. According to Amandla Makhongwana, senior associate at Bowmans: âIn carrying out this function, Mbuyane and Nkosi were responsible for receiving cash from a security company, SBV. If the amount received was incorrect, they had to return the cash to SBV and prepare balance sheets that correctly corresponded with the amounts received from SBV.â V.6115
08. Aug. 2025 SA MigrationLabour Court rules against `just following orders` defence in South Africa
Dishonesty, even when instructed, breaches the trust at the heart of the employment relationship and can justify a dismissal, according to Amandla Makhongwana, senior associate at Bowmans.Makhongwana says the Labour Courtâs judgment in Mbuyane v Dekker NO and Others (JR1173/2020) [2025] ZALCJHB 224 serves as a poignant reminder that integrity is not negotiable, even under pressure from management.Banele Innocent Mbuyane, a former treasury custodian at Standard Bank, shared operational duties with his supervisor, Ms Nkosi. According to Amandla Makhongwana, senior associate at Bowmans: âIn carrying out this function, Mbuyane and Nkosi were responsible for receiving cash from a security company, SBV. If the amount received was incorrect, they had to return the cash to SBV and prepare balance sheets that correctly corresponded with the amounts received from SBV.â V.6109
08. Aug. 2025 SA MigrationARRESTED & UNDOCUMENTED: WHAT ARE YOUR OPTIONS?
1. Right to Legal Representationâ¢You have the right to consult with a legal representative.â¢Contact an immigration practitioner, legal aid clinic, or attorney urgently.â¢Do not sign any documents without understanding them fully. 2. Section 34 of the Immigration Actâ¢You must be brought to court with 48 hours to confirm arrest but you can remain locked up very long as courts figure out what to do with you â¢If you`re found to be illegally in South Africa, you may be detained for up to 30 days (extendable by a magistrate) pending deportation.â¢BUT this cannot happen arbitrarily. You must be informed of your rights, and Home Affairs must follow due process.- becomes a nightmare , you could lose your job , business , place to stay V.6110
08. Aug. 2025 SA MigrationHome Affairs `New Broom` Operation - They`re Everywhere!
Roadblocks. Workplace Raids. Random Checks.Home Affairs is cracking down hard on undocumented foreigners - no one is invisible anymore.If You`re Not Legal in South Africa, You Risk: - Arrest & detention - Deportation - Losing your job or business - Being banned from re-entry V.6111
08. Aug. 2025 SA MigrationFraudulent identity leads to deportation of businessman
A businessman claiming Palestinian roots has left the country after failing to force the Department of Home Affairs to allow him to legalise his status in South Africa. A businessman has left South Africa after failing to stop the Department of Home Affairsâ bid to deport him when he was found to be using a fraudulent name. V.6112
08. Aug. 2025 SA MigrationIs It Possible to Marry My Partner with an Asylum Permit?
The short answer Yes, you can, if you have the right paperwork, and attend a Home Affairs marriage interview. The long answerThank you for your email asking whether you and your partner can get married if he is on an asylum permit.Asylum seekers and refugees do have the right to get married in South Africa as long as they meet the Home Affairs marriage requirements. These are:â¢that if you have been married previously, you must show proof of divorce or death of previous partnerâ¢that you are not a minor (under age of 18)â¢that you are not suffering from severe mental illness which prevents you from understanding what marriage is. V.6113
04. Aug. 2025 SA MigrationThree Pretoria High Court officials suspended following fraudulent documents probe
The Hawks are investigating allegations that officials at the Gauteng Division of the High Court in Pretoria are issuing fraudulent notices to help illegal foreigners evade deportation. Three officials have been arrested following a Hawks raid on Tuesday, 13 May 2025. The three court officials have been accused of issuing fraudulent notices of motion to help foreigners evade deportation proceedings.Three officials at the Gauteng Division of the High Court in Pretoria have been placed on precautionary suspension days after the Hawks raided the court during an investigation into the issuance of fraudulent notices of motion. V.6090
04. Aug. 2025 SA MigrationI live in South Africa illegally but I have a five-year-old child that is a South African citizen. What can I do to secure my status?
The whole questionI have lived in South Africa since 2006, albeit illegally. Since 2012, me and my South African girlfriend have cohabited and we have a five-year-old son. I did a DNA test for Home Affairs to give him my surname. Is there anything i can do to fix my status? V.6091
04. Aug. 2025 SA MigrationSouth Africa: Court Declares Asylum `Filtering` System Unconstitutional
Parts of the Refugees Act and its regulations that allowed for Home Affairs to `filter` asylum seekers who do not have valid transit visas, have been declared unconstitutional.â¢The Western Cape High Court agreed with the Scalabrini Centre that this put asylum seekers at risk of being sent back to their home countries, where they could face persecution.â¢The matter will now go to the Constitutional Court for confirmation. V.6092
04. Aug. 2025 SA MigrationSAâs Home Affairs grants temporary relief to visa, ZEP holders
SAâs Home Affairs grants temporary relief to visa, ZEP holdersSouth Africa has extended the deadline for Zimbabwe Exemption Permit (ZEP) holders and other visa applicants whose documents expired at the end of March, citing delays in processing applications.The new deadline, now set for 30 September, provides temporary relief for thousands of Zimbabweans who have been left in limbo as authorities work through a backlog of visa and permit applications. V.6093
04. Aug. 2025 SA MigrationRegistration Requirements For Artisans in South Africa
Applying for critical skills work visa in South Africa as an artisan has been a challenge for the longest time. In 2014 when the current amendments to the Immigration Act were gazetted several gaps were identified in the Act which included the absence of a SAQA accredited professional body to register artisans. ECSA was not an option due to their minimum NQF criteria of 5 which was a notch above the rating being given by SAQA for artisans. There was a time letters issued by the National Artisan Moderation Body, (NAMB), were sufficient and then they were not. V.6094
04. Aug. 2025 SA MigrationIs it possible for refugees currently living in South Africa to apply for resettlement to another country
The short answer Unfortunately not. UNHCR says that refugees are identified for Resettlement based on their protection needs. The long answerUnfortunately, a refugee cannot apply for Resettlement. Cases for Resettlement are identified by the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) through information they gather from different channels. V.6095
04. Aug. 2025 SA MigrationChanging lifestyle to become a digital nomad
While many employers embrace remote work, there are special considerations to make the lifestyle work. Hereâs what you need to know.For many people, it seems like a dream world: never having to go to an office while traveling the world. Thatâs certainly one way to be a digital nomad, but everyone has different desires for transitioning to a location-independent lifestyle. Digital nomads work hard just like anybody else, but theyâve forgone a permanent location. V.6096
04. Aug. 2025 SA MigrationWhat is a Ministerial Waiver / Exemption and how does it work
Upon application to the Minister of Home Affairs, the Minister may under terms and conditions determined by him or her allow distinguished visitors or members of his/her family to be administered and sojourn in South Africa and or waive any prescribed (regulatory) requirements for good cause and/or grant any foreigner or category of foreigners the rights of permanent residence for a specified or unspecified period when special circumstances exist justifying such a decision. V.6097
04. Aug. 2025 SA MigrationHow to cancel work visa in South Africa
Sometimes things donât work out as we planned and often the foreign employee does not feel happy at his employer or maybe they just not suited for the company. Many times they often resign to join a new company or move back to their country of residence.In times like this, we are often completely clueless about what we need to do once the employee has left the business.Today, we discuss the steps you need to take when an employee has left the business. V.6098
